Lamp mounting with scarfing device

ABSTRACT

The reflector mounting member of a lamp is provided with a receptacle for the base of a bulb having its terminal in contact with an arm extending from a connector clip seated in another receptacle on the mounting member. A hot line conductor is inserted into the clip which slices the insulation sheathing of the conductor to establish an electrical connection to the bulb terminal.

United States Patent 1 Morrison 1 June 26, 11973 LAMP MOUNTING WITH SCARFING DEVICE [75] inventor: Charles R. Morrison, Frewsburg,

[73] Assignee: Truck-Lite Company, Inc.,

Jamestown, NY.

[22] Filed: Aug. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 173,585

[52] US. Cl 339/97 L, 339/176 L [51] Int. Cl H01v 9/06 [58] Field of Search 339/95 R, 95 A, 95 D, 339/96, 97 R, 97 L, 98, 99 R, 99 L, 176 L,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,858,631 11/1958 Jorick 339/176 L 1,200,825 10/1916 Fcnety 3.19/97 1. X 1,818,884 8/1931 Eckstein 339/99 1. 2,739,291 3/1956 Frankel 339/99 1 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,492,998 7/1967 France 339/l76 L Primary ExaminerMarvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Attorney-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT The reflector mounting member of a lamp is provided with a receptacle for the base of a bulb having its terminal in contact with an arm extending from a connector clip seated in another receptacle on the mounting member. A hot line conductor is inserted into the clip which slices the insulation sheathing of the conductor to establish an electrical. connection to the bulb terminal.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENTEUJUR26 ms 3.742.429

SHKEI 2 0F 2 Fig.3

Fig. 5

LAMP MOUNTING WITH SCARFING DEVICE This invention relates to lamp assemblies and more particularly to vehicle lamp assemblies such as side marker and clearance lights.

The need exists for a relatively inexpensive type of lamp adapted to be mounted with minimum effort in vehicle installations where there are special mounting and power connecting requirements. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to meet the foregoing vehicle installational needs for lamps in a unique, efficient and low cost manner.

The present invention .pertains to vehicle lamps of the type having a reflector mounting member on which a based bulb is mounted enclosed within a lens cover. The reflector mounting member which is made of an electrically non-conductive, plastic material, is formed with a bulb receiving receptacle formation having one axial end engaged by the arm of a power connector thereby effective to contact the end terminal of the bulb whenseated in its receptacle. An electrically conductive strap lines the bulb receiving receptacle and extends therefrom to a conductive grommet through which the lamp reflector is fastened to the vehicle body as well as to establish a ground connection. The terminal engaging contact arm of the power connector extends from a clip portion seated within another receptacle formation on the reflector. The clip portion is provided with a jaw from which a pair of scarfing eleorder to establish an electrical connection to the bulb terminal from the hot line. The hot line may be in the form of a continuous looped feeder or a dead end pigtail from the mainpower circuitry.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a lamp assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention with the lens cover removed.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the power connector member associated with the lamp assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. r FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the power connector shown'in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the power connector.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle lamp assembly generally denoted by reference numeral is shown. The lamp assembly includes a reflector mounting member 12 made of an electrically non-conductive, plastic material having an annular rim portion 14 receiving a suitable lens cover 16 through which illumination is emitted from a conventional type of base bulb 18 when energized by electrical energy supplied thereto from a suitable source by means of a hot line conductor cable 20.

In the embodiment illustrated by way of example, the hot line conductor 20 is part of a continuous feeder extending through an opening 22 in the reflector to form a loop engaged by an insulation piercing clip portion 24 of a power connector generally referred to by reference numeral 26. It should however be appreciated that electricalenergy could also be conducted to the lamp assembly by a dead end pigtail in other types of installations.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the reflector mounting member 12 is provided with a bulb holding receptacle formation 28 having an axially extending arcuate recess 30 within which the base portion 32 of the bulb is seated. Pins 33 extending from the base portion are seated in slots 35 to maintain radial and axial alignment of the bulb in the bulb holder 28. The base portion of the bulb is in electrical contact with a conductive strap 34 lining the recess 30. The strap extends along one side of the receptacle formation 28 and along the flat portion 36 of the reflector to an opening within which a conductive grommet 38 is mounted. An electrically conductive fastener is adapted to extend through the grommet 38 for establishing a physical connection between the lamp assembly and the vehicle body as well as to establish an electrical ground connection through the strap 34 to the terminal base 32 of the lamp bulb.

The reflector mounting member is also provided with a receptacle formation 40 spaced from the bulb receiving formation 28. The clip portion 24 of the power connector is received within the recess 42 of the formation 40 through which the hot line conductor 20 extends. An integral arm portion 44 as shown in FIG. 1, extends from one side of the clip portion 24 and is received in slots 41 of the bulb holder 28 engaging the end terminal 33 of the bulb when seated in its aligned position. In this fashion, an electrical circuit is completed to ground from the power conductor 20 through the bulb filament.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the power connector 26 is formed from an integral, electrically conductive sheet of material. The clip portion 24 is provided on one side with a jaw 46 from which an arcuate projection 48 extends toward 'a confronting jaw section 50 of the clip portion, the jaws being interconnected by an elastically deformable arcuate section 52 adapted to be seated within the recess 42 of the receptacle formation 40 aforementioned. The jaw sections 46 and 50 are elastically deflected away from each other when the hot line conductor cable is inserted and wedged therebetween. When inserted, the hot line conductor cable is engaged on one side by the projection 48 and on the other side by a pair of parallel spaced scarfing elements 54 that extend from the jaw section 50. The knife edges 56 of the scarflng elements accordingly slice into the insulating sheathing 58 of the conductor 20 as shown in FIG. 2 as the cable is inserted between the jaws in order to establish electrical contact with the conductive core 60. An electrical connection is thereby established through the power connector to the end terminal of the lamp bulb and because of the spring action of the clip and the rigid back-up of formation 40, electrical circuit continuity is maintained.

With continued reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the arm portion 44 of the power connector extends from one axial edge of the jaw section 46 and includes a section 62 disposed at a predetermined angle so that the contact tab 64 projecting from the arm portion 44 is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the recess 30 closing one axial end of the formation 28. The end terminal of the bulb engages the contact tab 64. The power connector is made of a suitable spring or elastically deformable material in order to establish firm contact with both the bulb terminal and the conductor through the clip portion 24 as aforementioned.

It will therefore be apparent from the foregoing description, that a relatively low cost lamp construction is provided together with a unique and new method for establishing an electrical connection between a hot line and the bulb for effortless and rapid installation of the lamp.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a lamp reflector having a pair of spaced formations which partially surround and frictionally retain a lamp bulb in one of the formations and a power connector in the other of the formations for receiving an insulation covered, current-carrying conductor, said power connector comprising an insulation piercing clip portion into which the conductor is inserted in spaced relation to the bulb holding formation and an arm extending from the clip portion into operative engagement with the bulb holding formation.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said formations form separate axially extending receptacles for the bulb and clip portion of the connector.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the clip portion includes a pair of confronting jaws, one of the jaws including a pair of spaced scarfing elements, the other of the jaws having an arcuate projection extending between the spaced scarfing elements and elastically deformable means interconnecting the jaws for deflection thereof into engagement with said other of the formations in response to insertion of the conductor.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the arm extends from one of the jaws at an angle thereto, said arm having a contact portion engaging an axial end of the receptacle holding the bulb.

5. The combination of claim 4 including a grounding strap lining one of the receptacles holding the bulb.

6. The combination of claim 2 including a grounding strap lining one of the receptacles holding the bulb.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the clip portion includes a pair of confronting jaws, one of the jaws including a pair of spaced scarfing elements, the other of the jaws having an arcuate projection extending between the spaced scarflng elements and elastically deformable means interconnecting the jaws.

8. In a lamp having a mounting member provided with avpair of spaced receptacles, a bulb having a base partially surrounded by and retained in one of the receptacles and means for electrically connecting the bulb to an insulated conductor extending through the other of the receptacles, comprising a pair of insulation piercing scarfing elements, a confronting arcuate projection extending therebetween and elastically deformable means seated in the other of the receptacles interconnecting the scarfing elements with the confronting arcuate projection for deflection of said elements in response to insertion of the insulated conductor.

9. In combination with a lamp having a base and a power connector into which an insulation covered conductor is inserted, said base being formed with a receptacle within which the power connector is frictionally held, said power connector comprising a pair of jaws, and elastically deformable means interconnecting said jaws for deflection thereof away from each other in response to insertion of the conductor therebetween, one of the jaws having insulation piercing means for slicing through the insulation of the conductor in response to said insertion of the conductor between the jaws.

* l l l 

1. In combination with a lamp reflector having a pair of spaced formations which partially surround and frictionally retain a lamp bulb in one of the formations and a power connector in the other of the formations for receiving an insulation covered, current-carrying conductor, said power connector comprising an insulation piercing clip portion into which the conductor is inserted in spaced relation to the bulb holding formation and an arm extending from the clip portion into operative engagement with the bulb holding formation.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said formations form separate axially extending receptacles for the bulb and clip portion of the connector.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the clip portion includes a pair of confronting jaws, one of the jaws including a pair of spaced scarfing elements, the other of the jaws having an arcuate projection extending between the spaced scarfing elements and elastically deformable means interconnecting the jaws for deflection thereof into engagement with said other of the formations in response to insertion of the conductor.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the arm extends from one of the jaws at an angle thereto, said arm having a contact portion engaging an axial end of the receptacle holding the bulb.
 5. The combination of claim 4 including a grounding strap lining one of the receptacles holding the bulb.
 6. The combination of claim 2 including a grounding strap lining one of the receptacles holding the bulb.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the clip portion includes a pair of confronting jaws, one of the jaws including a pair of spaced scarfing elements, the other of the jaws having an arcuate projection extending between the spaced scarfing elements and elastically deformable means interconnecting the jaws.
 8. In a lamp having a mounting member provided with a pair of spaced receptacles, a bulb having a base partially surrounded by and retained in one of the receptacles and means for electrically connecting the bulb to an insulated conductor extending through the other of the receptacles, comprising a pair of insulation piercing scarfing elements, a confronting arcuate projection extending therebetween and elastically deformable means seated in the other of the receptacles interconnecting the scarfing elements with the confronting arcuate projection for deflection of said elements in response to insertion of the insulated conductor.
 9. In combination with a lamp having a base and a power connector into which an insulation covered conductor is inserted, said base being formed with a receptacle within which the power connector is frictionally held, said power connector comprising a pair of jaws, and elastically deformable means interconnecting said jaws for deflection thereof away from each other in response to insertion of the conductor therebetween, one of the jaws having insulation piercing means for slicing through the insulation of the conductor in response to said insertion of the conductor between the jaws. 